The Strength To Do For His Child
by StarWarrior72
Summary: The Strength To Do For His Child What He Cannot Do For Himself. In which an even younger, more naive Luke finds out about his Father in a truly childish way. When confronted with the only person in the galaxy who would hug him Vader must question reality.


I would like to point out that I wrote this for fun and that I'm expanding on a copyrighted story. As such, no one has any right to criticise laureas! She has my permission and I'd appreciate it if the spamming about how she stole my story could stop! I also think an apology and a more open-minded opinion of her writing style is in order.

Obi-Wan sat drinking his water and watching his young charge. He smiled to see Luke playing with his friends. At six the boy was one of the youngest of the six children but he seemed to get along with all of them.

The younger two, Luke and Windy, were rolling in the sand and throwing it at each other. After watching with the other older kids Luke`s best friend, Biggs, joined the fray. Within minutes all the children were in the dirt. _His uncle is going to be furious_, Obi-Wan thought with a smile.

Finally Fixer`s father came out of the station and called his son inside for dinner and the group disbanded. At last Luke was the only person waiting for his aunt and uncle. After sitting around, bored, he started to play in the dirt again, drawing little spaceships in the sand with his finger.

He had finished several rather well drawn fighters when he started to draw a freighter. Suddenly he jumped to his feet with a scream of "Daddy!"

Obi-Wan was well aware of the lie he had been told about his father, so he watched as the boy happily jumped up and ran towards the road. _Ah, kids, so sweet, so innocent, so ignorant._ Then he caught a glimpse of Darth Vader on the road, _Or maybe they know more than we think. Oh, damn. _He leapt to his feet pulling his hood up and tossing a couple of coins to the owner.

Quickly hiding his Force signature, and inwardly cursing himself for being so absorbed in watching his old friend's son playing, he ran out into the road hoping to catch the child before he could do any damage. As the little boy came back into view Obi-Wan swore out loud. Somehow the child had managed to get through the stormtroopers and attached himself to Vader's leg.

The Imperials had all stopped to look at the boy who had caught their leader, even Vader was looking down at the boy in surprise. He took only a few seconds to recover, then he reached down and pried Luke off. In classic little kid style, Luke was completely unaware of the danger he was in. His only reaction to being lifted by the man, who was quite possibly the most lethal person in the galaxy, and at least the second, was a fit of hysterically childish giggles.

"Who are you?" Vader growled at the boy who hung from his huge, gloved hands.

"My name is Luke. You're my Daddy." Luke proclaimed happily.

"I don't have a son." Obi-Wan thought that he could sense sadness in Vader's voice, but he pushed the thought away, _this is Vader, not Anakin. He is a Sith, not my friend._ But something made him hang back and watch rather than run forward and claim the boy.

Luke giggled again, "Yes you do! You're silly."

"Where are your parents, child?" Obi-Wan felt sure that his old apprentice was rolling his eyes.

"You're right here!"

"Who has been taking care of you, then, boy?"

"My auntie and uncle. But they're late and you're here now. I knew that you would come back for me." Luke managed to squirm down into his father's arms. _He couldn't have done that if his father didn't want him to. _Obi-Wan shook his head, _Stop that!_ He told himself harshly.

"I suppose that I should keep an eye on you then, you're going to get yourself hurt." _Has he sensed the truth? This is quite out of character for Vader, this is more how Anakin would have reacted. Minus dubious looks at me. Perhaps Padmé was right after all._ As though he had read Obi-Wan's mind Vader looked towards the stall he stood behind.

Vader tried to hand Luke off to one of his men, but Luke managed to get his hands entwined in Vader's cape, clinging to him. Vader sighed and cradled the young boy against himself.

As Vader went around his business Luke curled up and fell asleep in his father's arms. At one point Vader looked down at his sleeping son and Obi-Wan was sure that Luke was about to be passed off to one of the troopers, but Vader just drew the child closer and continued walking.

Finally Obi-Wan decided that he had seen enough. Disguising himself more thoroughly in the Force he walked up to Vader and said, "Hello, Sir. Where did you find that boy?"

"He found me actually. Is he yours?"

Obi-Wan nodded, then, remembering that the motion would be almost invisible what with his hood he said, "Yes."

Vader turned to his one-time teacher, "I never expected to find you here, Obi-Wan."

_Oh, damn. I really was too involved in watching Luke's play. I can't believe that I let him find me like this!_ "And I never expected you to find me here."

"He is my child, isn't he?" Vader showed no inclination to release Luke.

Obi-Wan bowed his head, "He is."

"Where are his Aunt and Uncle?"

"Leave them out of this, they didn't know. I told them that you were dead."

"I am not here to hurt them, but it would be wrong to take Luke without letting him say goodbye."

"Right and wrong haven't affected what you've done for the last six years at all."

Vader turned to his troopers and said, "Continue the search for the rebels, I have a personal duty to attend to." He turned back to Obi-Wan, "Follow me."

Obi-Wan followed in trepidation. His old apprentice led him through town and out to the outskirts. When they reached the old pod racing stands Vader led Obi-Wan up to one of the highest benches. Luke shifted slightly in Vader's arms and Obi-Wan watched as he carefully moved his arms to support the boy better without waking him.

"This is where my life with the Jedi began, it's where I gained my freedom." Vader looked down at the track.

"Yes, Qui-Gon told me. Why did you bring me here?"

"Here he explained to me a few of the rules and beliefs of the Jedi."

"Yes, what's your point?"

"One of the ones that he stressed the most was the fact that everybody deserves a second chance." Luke moved in Vader's arms again and Vader spoke quietly into his boy's ear.

"Are you asking me to forgive you?" Obi-Wan was incredulous, the last time he had seen this man he had been shouting his hatred out of a river of lava.

"I don't believe that I deserve it, I have done horrible things. Having Luke run to me today without giving it a second thought made me realize what a terrible person I've been. There was a time when that wouldn't have surprised me, but today I almost looked over my shoulder to see who he was running to."

"Well, he was shouting 'Daddy! Daddy!' at the top of his lungs. You were certainly not expected to be ready for that."

Obi-Wan sensed that his young apprentice was smiling as he looked down at Luke. "I wish that I had known he was here."

"I am sorry, but it seemed prudent to hide him from the Sith."

"It was never your fault. You did the right thing. That is why I want to be a Jedi again, it hurt to know that my own little boy had to be hidden from me for his own safety. I want to give him a home with me, can you forgive me?"

"I think that I can, Ani. I would hate to see Luke continue to grow up without you. He looks up to you, and he certainly takes after you. However it isn't my choice, as he told you he has been raised by his aunt and uncle." Obi-Wan smiled and fluffed the boy's hair.

Vader-no, Anakin-gently rocked his son in his arms and Obi-Wan could easily sense the giddy happiness rolling off him.

"We should go back to town his family is probably frantic." Obi-Wan stood to lead his old friend down the bleachers, but when Anakin stood the boy who had been peacefully slumbering in his arms woke up.

"Huh? Where are we?" Luke looked around and sat up in his Father's arms, "Wow! Is this really the pod racing stadium?"

Anakin smiled at his son and nodded.

"Cool!" Anakin put Luke down and watched as the boy ran down the stairs to ground level and smiled back up at the two Jedi watching him from far overhead, "Are you coming or not?" he called up happily.

Again Obi-Wan felt Anakin's happiness as the Jedi-turned-Sith-turned-Jedi looked down at his son. Then Anakin leapt into the air and practically flew down to his son. Luke watched in wonder as his Father glided down to land beside him. "Fast enough for you?"

Luke just laughed and pressed against his Father. No to be outdone Obi-Wan jumped into the air too and did a flip before landing next to the two of them. "Hey, Master, that's cheating. I can't do that anymore, it doesn't count." Anakin was laughing, so glad to be back with his oldest friend.

"You always liked to show off your piloting skills and we both know that nobody can do pilot as well as you."

Luke reached up to his Father and they left the stadium together. Luke gripped his Father's hand the entire way, occasionally taking his feet off the ground to swing. Anakin and Obi-Wan laughed together. Obi-Wan reached out and took Luke's other hand and the two men swung Luke gently, the child laughing the entire time.

After the boy tired of that game he started to beg his father to tell him a story. After a few minutes of begging, Anakin started to tell Luke about the Jedi, and of his adventures. Luke stared up at his father transfixed.

When they neared town Obi-Wan turned to Anakin and said, "I think that I should go in and explain a bit of this to his aunt and uncle. It would be quite the shock for them to see you come in carrying their nephew."

"I think they'll be shocked anyway." Anakin said, but he nodded and Obi-Wan ran into town to find them.

"What?" Owen was staring at Obi-Wan in horror. "You told me that we were safe and that he could never find us!"

"Yes I did, and I honestly believed it. But now that he's here we should just be glad that he bears us no ill-will. He will be here any minute."

As if on cue Anakin walked into the square with Luke happily hanging off of one of his hands.

"Are you here for Luke?" Beru spoke up worriedly.

"If I may I would like to take him in." Anakin stopped telling Luke his stories to join the adults' conversation. Luke reacted to losing his father's attention by trying to climb into the older man's arms. Vader bent down and gathered his son up.

"Why didn't you tell us he was still alive?" Owen addressed Obi-Wan accusingly.

"I didn't want you to worry. You had no reason to worry; you have all been under my protection since I brought you Luke."

"And now you want to take him away." Beru smiled sadly and reached out to her nephew. Luke crawled into her arms and rested his head on her shoulder.

"No, that's not what I want right now. I need you to keep him safe until I have dealt with the Emperor, if he were to find out about Luke…" Anakin shuddered inwardly.

Luke pulled away from his aunt, "You're going to leave me alone again?"

"You won't be alone Luke. Your aunt and uncle will protect and care for you. I hope." He added looking at his step-sister-in-law. She nodded quietly. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You won't have to do this alone either. If we move against the Emperor right now Luke won't need my protection from the Sith for a while." Obi-Wan looked at from Luke to Anakin and back.

Anakin nodded and held his arms out to his son. Luke crawled back into his Father's arms again and pressed his face against his chest. "Be good, Luke. Stay safe." Luke looked up at his father with tears in his eyes and tried to speak, but all he managed was a little sob. Anakin pulled him close again and rubbed his back for a few seconds before handing him back to his aunt.

"We should get moving it won't be long before the news of this gets to the Emperor. He has spies everywhere." Obi-Wan wiped the tears from Luke's eyes as his own form of a goodbye, and they were off.


End file.
